Soccer Saturday

Saturday is a huge day for soccer, both locally and nationally.  If you are a soccer fan in Huntsville, you'll have a bevy of opportunities to watch the game you love.  Here's how I'm going to be spending my Soccer Saturday.

10 AM Wales v England,  ESPN2

This is a European Cup qualifier between the two British sides.  I'm no fan of England, so I'll be cheering on the Welsh, but it's too bad we won't see Gareth Bale for this match.

RCU is back in action at John Hunt Soccer Stadium at 1PM on Saturday

1 PM Rocket City United v Martin Methodist College, John Hunt Soccer Stadium
I will make the short trip over to Airport Road to check out the local semi-pro side in action.  Coach Gerry Cleary will be pulling double duty as head coach of both teams.

UPDATE:  The RCU match has been canceled.   Looks like I'll have a chance to watch the Germany match from the start.

2 PM Germany v Kazakhstan, ESPN3.com
Hopefully, I'll get home in time to catch the some of the second half before I turn my attention to the MLS action.  This European Cup qualifier should be a cakewalk for Germany's young phenoms.

3:30 PM New England Revolution v DC United, MLS Direct Kick
Time to sit down and watch my hometown club DC United as they try to follow up on their opening weekend win.  Can Charlie Davies continue his amazing comeback with the Black and Red?

Charlie Davies Postgame Interview

BTW, if you don't have MLS Direct Kick, what are you waiting for?  If you have cable, In Demand offers it.  If you have satellite, both DirecTV and Dish Network have it, too.  $80 for the season is just too good to pass up.


6 PM USA v Argentina, ESPN2
Our Yanks against Messi and his Gauchos.  Enough said.

USMNT Recounts the 2008 Match v Argentina

8 PM Real Salt Lake v LA Galaxy, MLS Direct Kick
The best team in MLS, RSL will host some overrated English guy and his pals.  My buddy, Matt, is a Galaxy fan.  So, I'm sure I'll be sending him texts to tease him about his team losing to RSL.  :)

9:30 PM Chivas USA v Colorado Rapids, MLS Direct Kick
A long day of soccer comes to a close as I catch the MLS Cup Champions Colorado facing the baby goats of Chivas USA.

All Huntsville Fields Closed. So Get Up To Chattanooga To Watch MLS!!!

With yesterday's deluge, all of the soccer fields in Huntsville have been ruled unplayable.  So, what better time to use your new free time for a short roadtrip up to Chattanooga to spend a nice sunny afternoon watching the MLS friendly between the New England Revolution and the Columbus Crew.
 

With over 2,500 tickets sold already, the Chattahooligans are pumped about the game.  If for some reason you can't make it up there, I'll be there to give you the low down.

And So It Begins

 With tonight's CONCACAF Champions League match between the Columbus Crew and Real Salt Lake, the 2011 US domestic soccer year will begin.  It'll be a 10 month voyage to the MLS Cup, and I'm looking forward to it with relish.  My couch, which will likely suffer a dent in one or more of the cushions from my time in front of the TV, is probably not looking forward to this season. 

Tonight's match feature's the 2009 MLS Supporter's Shield winner in Columbus vs. the 2009 MLS Cup Champion and 2010 Runner-up, Real Salt Lake.  So, in theory this should be a good game.  The reality is that this match will be held in arctic temperatures with two teams in preseason form.  The game-time forecast calls for 27 degrees and light snow.  So, it's likely that this first match of the calendar year will be a frozen dud, but I don't care.  After a few months without it, I can suffer through an ugly match.

More Sabio

Filipino International and Huntsville Native, Jason Sabio

The Huntsville Times has a nice little article about Huntsville native Jason Sabio's action for the Filipino National Team.

Sabio Appears for Phillipines

Huntsville native Jason Sabio came on as a substitute in the 70th minute and provided the pass that led to the second goal as the Filipino National Team recorded a 2:0 victory over Mongolia in the first leg of the AFC Challenge Cup tie.

Highlights

After a world class first goal by Emelio Caligdong in the 43rd minute, the Azkals pushed hard for a second goal.  Deep into second half stoppage time, Sabio ran onto a ball on the right flank and found Phil Younghusband in the penalty area.  Younghusband's first shot was knocked right back to him and his second bite of the cherry found the net for a much needed second goal.  The teams will meet each other again on March 15th for the return leg.

Huntsville Native Called Up To Philippines National Team

Former Rocket City United player and Huntsville Native, Jason Sabio has been called up by the Philippines National Team for its upcoming Asian Football Confederation's Challenge Cup qualifier against Mongolia.  Sabio also spent time training with the Azkals in the summer of 2009 before being called up for the February 9th match.

The Philippines National Team, nicknamed the Azkals (or Streetdogs), are currently ranked 153rd in the FIFA rankings and are under new coach Michael Weiss.  The Azkals are trying to build on their recent success in last month's AFF Suzuki Cup where they beat the defending champions Vietnam.  That shock result led to a semifinal finish and resulted in the Azkals'  highest ever FIFA ranking of 150.  Wiess is looking to continue the success by exploring all player options and calling in many foreign based players of Filipino decent, including Sabio. 

World Cup: USA v England Watching, WC Finals Goalscorers,

Where are you watching the USA v England match?

So, it's a little under two weeks away from the big match. How do you plan on watching the match?

A good buddy of mine is an American soccer geek of English descent and is hosting a few hundred of his closest friends for the match at his home. He's created a soccer pub in his basement for the match including a bar , multiple TVs, and multiple kegs of English and American brews to choose from. Too bad he lives a 13 hour drive from Huntsville.

Fortunately, Jacob at Southern Soccer has the scoop on at least one viewing party hosted by Sportspave and the International Society of Huntsville at the Station 2 at Bridgestreet. They'll be hosting viewings of each US group match and selected matches in the knockout rounds, including the semifinals and final.

Are you having/attending a watch party? Are you planning on going to a sports bar to catch the action? Or are you going to watch at home so you can scream "Gooooooooal!" and "U-S-A, U-S-A!" in the privacy of your living room?

As you know, we, at the PWT-blog, are still trying to identify a true soccer bar in the Huntsville area, and we expect to review a few more places prior to the big match. So, keep an eye out for prospective establishments.


I Scored A Goal In The World Cup Finals

Geoff Hurst, who scored three goals in the 1966 World Cup Final, is one player featured.

ESPN has an amazing web series called "I scored a goal in the FIFA World Cup finals". In it, they interview nearly every living player who scored in the World Cup finals from 1950 through 2006. It's great entertainment and an terrific history lesson.

Alabama High School Finals To Be Streamed By Raycom Media

The Alabama High School Athletics Association has signed an agreement with Raycom Media to live stream the state's Soccer Finals as part of a comprehensive 3 year agreement to broadcast a variety of the AHSAA's sporting events online and live/tape delayed over the air broadcasts. Raycom has streamed several AHSAA events this year via their broadcast TV station websites including WAFF 48 here in Huntsville. The AHSAA Boy's and Girl's Soccer Finals will be held in Huntsville this year on May 7 & 8.

Tommy's Pizza Sponsors RCU, American Soccer Culture in Danger, and RedBull Arena Opens

Tommy's Pizza to Sponsor RCU

Yesterday, RCU announced that Tommy's Pizza will be a 2010 team sponsor. Tommy's had provided pizza for RCU's Ribbon Cutting ceremony, and it I have to say I was impressed. I'm not a huge thin crust pizza guy, but the Tommy's New York style pizza was terrific. I'm looking forward to eating more at all home RCU matches and at Tommy's Bridge Street Town Center location.


American Soccer Culture: Is there one?

Jason Davis of Match Fit USA has written an extremely interesting article about the burgeoning American soccer culture and the influence that British soccer culture has on it. I've written before that American soccer fans have a huge inferiority complex when it should be proud of the rich soccer history. According to MLSTalk, the way to battle the British influence is to support your local club as the American leagues expand their footprint across the country.


RedBull Arena Opening This Weekend

I've heard the new RedBull Arena described as the "best soccer stadium in the western hemisphere", and from everything I've read, that's no exaggeration. The $250 million, 25,000 seat building will open this Saturday when the worst team in MLS, New York RedBulls, will face Brazilian club Santos.

New York's First Practice at Red Bull Arena from mlsinsider on Vimeo.

The DC United fan in me is conflicted. Certainly this is an amazing building and a boon for MLS, but how a club that has done nothing but stink up the cellar of the MLS (see the final 2009 MLS standing on the right of this page) gets a stadium built before the most successful team in American professional soccer is mind boggling.

New PWT-blog Feature: Huntsville Soccer Bar Reviews

From yesterday's post you know I've been itching more and more lately to get out of the house and to find a local establishment to enjoy my soccer viewing. After speaking with many like minded soccer aficionados, I've decided that it's time for we as a soccer community to take things into our hands. We need to demonstrate prior to the World Cup that we are a clientele worthy of being catered to.

The Richmond Arms Pub in Houston, TX. They do the soccer bar right!
Photo by Bill Olive for the Houston Chronicle.

So, the PWT-blog is going to start a feature that reviews local establishments and assigns a rating for their "soccer bar potential" and we need your help. While we may not be able to find a true soccer pub in Huntsville (like this one in New York), we should be able to identify a sports bar or pizza joint that truly respects the game and goes out of their way to cater to the soccer fan clientele. We'll try to review one bar a week leading up to the World Cup. Hopefully by then, we will have identified the best places in town to watch soccer and we'll frequent those establishments during the tournament. Hopefully, these establishments will recognize by the growth of business during the World Cup that Huntsville has a large soccer watching population and will consider hosting soccer viewing events in the future.


Wanted: Establishments and Reviewers

This is what we need now.

1. A list of potential soccer pubs. These could be bars, restaurants, or clubs that may be willing to show games.
2. We need reviewers. We're looking for soccer guys/gals to go these places and review them for their potential as a soccer bar.

Packed soccer joint watching the big screen.

Criteria: What we are judging?

Here are the criteria and categories on which to judge and some of the questions I think we should be asking.

• TVs: How many/what size? Are they HD?
• Soccer Priority: Do they carry the soccer channels (FSC, GolTV, FSE, FS+, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, Univision, Telemundo, etc)? Will they order special pay-per\-view soccer events? Are they willing to open their doors at 6AM to catch the afternoon matches in Europe? Are they willing to show soccer despite what other events may be on? (We'll probably need to ask the management about these things.)
• Food: Does the food taste good? (Not a major hang-up for me, but it may be for some finicky folks.) Is the food expensive?
• Beverages (Beer): Do they have a good selection of beer? On Tap? No beer!? Other beverages? Is the beer expensive?
• Other: Does the place have a good ambiance? Does the place allow singing, chanting, cheering when your team scores? Does the place allow smoking, dancing, karaoke, etc that may distract us from the games?

Having many quality beers on tap certainly wouldn't hurt!

Soccer Bar Index Rating: Is it a legit soccer pub or just a place to watch the game?

Once I receive the review from a reviewer, I will rate the establishment based on the above criteria and assign it a "soccer bar index rating" (sounds spiffy, doesn't it). The descriptions below will give you all and idea of what the rating indicates.

4 soccer balls- Bar is bona fide soccer establishment and will show any game, at any time, no matter what. Has great beer, great food, great atmosphere, etc. Since I have been searching Huntsville for years without luck, I doubt any bars will earn this rating.

3 soccer balls- Bar has soccer TV packages and will show games, has good food and beer selection.



2 soccer balls- Bar does not have soccer TV package but will show soccer if they have it on their channels, doesn't have good food/beer selection.


1 soccer ball- Bar will show soccer if it's on their channels, prioritizes other events, bad food/beer selection.


0 soccer balls- Bar will not show soccer. Crap food, crap beer.



Would you, the Huntsville soccer community, like to help with this effort?

If you would like to volunteer, send me an email at ryanogol [at] gmail [dot] com. I'll send you a review questionnaire that will guide you through what to do and ask for while reviewing an establishment for soccer bar potential.


Volunteers to meet at Steve McQueens for US vs Netherlands Next Wednesday


I think we can get a good start on this by meeting next Wednesday afternoon for a late lunch at Steve McQueen's in Madison (on 72, used to be Indigo Joes) to watch the US v Netherlands match (game starts at 1:45 PM). I've heard that SMcQs may be interested in hosting "soccer viewings". So, it will be a good place to start our little venture.

If all else fails...



If for some reason we can't find a way to identify one, I may just have to buy one of these portable blow-up pubs, blow it up in my backyard, put a keg and a big TV in it, and invite you all over!

Weekend Warrior Vids, US World Cup Pay, Scorpion Kick Goal, and TV Soccer This Weekend

Weekend Warrior Vids and Polls

Jacob over at Southern Soccer posted a ton of videos from the successful Weekend Warrior tournament held this past weekend. He's also updated some polls to help get an idea of how they can make the tournament better in the future.


USMNT Player Bonuses For World Cup

For some of the guys playing in Europe, the bonuses that they earn from playing in the World Cup are nothing more than pocket change, but for some of the MLS players who are not making astronomical salaries, the money is a big deal. Stephen Goff gives us an idea of just how much the World Cup is worth to the US players.


Sweet Scorpion Kick Goal


This vid from the Portugese League has been tearing up the web in the past few days and for good reason.

It's an audaciously taken goal.


What I'll Be Watching This Weekend


While I wait for DirecTV to upgrade their satellite, so I can get FSC in HD, I'll be watching the following games this weekend, mostly in SD. :(

Today
Bundesliga, Hoffenheim-Moenchengladbach 1:30 p.m GolTV

Saturday
EPL, Everton-Manchester United 6:30 a.m. ESPN2 (IN HD)
Bundesliga, Hamburg-Eintracht Frankfurt 8:30 a.m. GolTV
EPL, Wolves-Chelsea 9 a.m. Fox Soccer Channel
La Liga, Barcelona-Santander 1 p.m. GolTV
Serie A, Inter Milan-Sampdoria 1:30 p.m. FSC
Campeonato Brasileiro, Corinthians-Rio Branco 3:30 p.m. GolTV

Sunday
Manchester City-Liverpool 9 a.m. FSC
Italy, Bari-AC Milan 1:30 p.m. FSC

Bar of Dreams: Isn't It Time Huntsville Had A Soccer Bar?

There are two huge matches on TV this weekend (USA vs Honduras 8PM tonight on FSC and the Derby della Madonnina or Milan Derby 1:30PM Sunday on FSC), and that got me thinking about something that Huntsville is sorely lacking... a soccer bar.

In cities all around the country, soccer fans will be gathering at local establishments to watch the game on the big screen in the company of their fellow soccer fanatics. A quick search on soccerbars.com shows only one soccer bar in Alabama and that is a 6 hour drive from Huntsville. The closest official US Soccer Bar is in Atlanta, a four hour drive.

Huntsville has plenty of sports bars where they show college football, NFL, baseball and basketball, but that's not the same as a soccer bar.

So, what makes a soccer bar?

In fact, it doesn't have to be a bar at all. It can be a restaurant, a club, or a even a diner. For me, it's simple. It's a place that you know, no matter what, the match you are looking for will be shown. It doesn't have to be a place with soccer jersey's hanging in every corner or a British/Irish style Pub. The food can taste like cardboard, the beer selection can be limited, and the service could be awful. It doesn't matter, the joint just has to treat the sport with respect and before all else, show the games.

Now, I've been to several establishments around town that are happy show the games, if their basic cable/satellite sports package happens to have the channel. In fact, every four years during the World Cup, almost every bar/restaurant in town becomes a soccer bar. During those special few weeks, soccer is a national sport. It's great. The game is treated with respect, and all sports fans are into it. But that does not a real soccer bar make.

A real soccer bar will:

• Go out of their way to order every conceivable channel where soccer is shown ahead of time.
• Have multiple TVs to show all the games going on concurrently.
• Order the special pay per view events (like the African Nations Cup) and advertise all of the games it shows.
• Open at all times of the day/night in order to show the games live and will often record them and reshow them later in the day, if necessary.

An establishment that does these things will have a loyal, strong following year round, not just during a few months of the year. It's a place that soccer fans will call our own.

If you build it, they will come.

What do you think? Is there already a place like this in Huntsville? Is there anything else that you'd like to see in our soccer bar?

Altidore on Haiti and How the Huntsville Soccer Community Can Help

Haitian native and US National Team player, Joe Gaetjens, is carried off the field after scoring the lone goal in the 1:0 World Cup victory over England in 1950.

US soccer fans should hold a special place in their hearts for Haiti, the country devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake earlier this week. After all, the goal that took down the giants of England in 1950 was scored by Haitian native, Joe Gaetjens. Also, current US forward Jozy Altidore is of Haitian decent and has been especially affected by the disaster. Here is a link to Jozy discussing the tragedy with CNN.

Altidore on a goodwill trip he made to Haiti a few years ago.

What can we in Huntsville do to help?

Huntsville resident and native of Haiti, Simeon Nerelus, is the founder of he Haiti Emergency Relief Organization. HERO is collecting food, medications, and other supplies. Here's more info about HERO.

WHO?
This food and fund raising drive to benefit the people of Haiti. Food is being donated to Food For The Poor (501c3) and Money is being donated to Trinity United Methodist Church and with the note of "Haiti Relief". 100% of these donations will go to direct relief in Haiti.

WHAT?
FOOD: rice, beans, powdered milk
MEDS: over the counter, vitamins

WHEN?
NOW!

WHERE?
HudsonAlpha Institute
6900 Moquin Drive
Huntsville, AL, 35806

Trinity United Methodist
607 Airport Road
Huntsville, AL 35802

WHAT TIME?
10am - 4pm Daily

HOW TO CONTACT?
haitifooddrive@gmail.com

Haitian Football Federation Crest

Also, Haiti is a football mad nation. So, this is the time for you in the Huntsville soccer community to go dig into your closet for your old soccer gear and donate whatever you can in an attempt to help bring a bit of normalcy back to a country that is suffering so badly. I've got a ton of old cleats, balls and replica jerseys that I'm planning on taking down to Trinity United Methodist Church to the help the cause. I suggest you do the same.

HASL: Help Wanted and More

HASL: Get Stuck In!

Jacob over at SouthernSoccer.com gives his take on what should be done to resolve the vacancy that Daryl Owens stepping down as the Vice President of HASL. I have to say I agree with all of his points. It's time for a few young men or women to step up and "get stuck in" and help the league move forward.Jacob also announced that the HASL team meeting will be held at 2PM on January 24th at Pete's Soccer Shop. This is not one to miss.

Oh, and don't forget to sign up for the Weekend Warrior tournament while you're at it!

TV Commentators Certification?


As a person that actually has some experience as a TV commentator, I know just how hard the job is. Analyzing a game and instantly providing interesting, insightful commentary without sounding like an idiot is brutally hard and is surprisingly draining. I am fully aware that I sometimes come across as a bumbling numbskull during my broadcasts. But as in everything else in life, it's all about practice. And I promise that as I watch FSC and GolTV on the weekends, I'm running the commentary in my brain, often while I'm folding clothes for my wife! :) So, I'm hoping to be better in the future.

Now, my broadcast partner John and I have had several conversations about who does a good job and who does not. A certain "Captain for Life" is not one of John's favorites. I do admit there are guys out there that consistently say the dumbest things and do not have the faintest idea who or what is happening on the field. The Gaffer at EPLTalk has an interesting idea on how to limit those guys who irritate us the most each weekend from getting on the air in the first place. He'd like the leagues require a broadcasting license in order to become on-air talent similar to the coaching licenses that the leagues require. Interesting...


More 3D TV!

As I told you before, 3D soccer on TV is coming this summer. Now, it appears that ESPN will be starting an all 3D Channel with the World Cup opener as the first broadcast event. Get your 3D glasses now!

Is HASL Done? Interview With HASL Vice President Daryl Owens

Recently, I sat down with the Huntsville Adult Soccer League's Vice President Daryl Owens to talk about the league's future after he announced last fall that the Fall 2009 season would be his last as VP. Daryl runs the day to day operations of the biggest and best adult soccer league in Alabama.

Daryl discuses his reasons for stepping down, his duties, and the perks of the job.

Daryl discusses the lack of soccer fields in the Huntsville area

As of the end of the year, there have been no volunteers to replace him, and although Daryl and league President Pete Needham would hate to see it happen, there is a possibility that HASL will cease to exist. That is, if no one steps in soon.

Huntsville Mayors Says "No" To Land Purchase For Soccer Fields

If you've played a soccer game in Huntsville, you've more than likely played that game at one of the two municipal soccer parks, Merrimack and John Hunt parks. And if you've played at either of these parks, you realize that Huntsville is in desperate need for more soccer fields. Those fields are in constant use by the youth and adult leagues who occupy them 7 days a week. Despite closing the parks for months at a time to let the turf recover, it's no exaggeration to describe them as "dirt with lines" on them by the latter stages of the season.

Well, the Huntsville Times is reporting that Mayor Tommy Battle has passed on the purchase of a parcel of land called Griffis Glen in southwest Huntsville originally intended as a housing development that some in the city believe would be perfect for another soccer complex.

Griffis Glen in relation to Merrimack and John Hunt Parks

The article goes on to say,

"City Councilman Bill Kling said he hopes the city can find a way to acquire the land for a future soccer complex. Nearby soccer fields at John Hunt Park and Merrimack Park stay so "jam packed" that some youth teams have to practice in Madison, he said.

"There's a great need for more recreational soccer fields in the city," Kling said last week. "Turning that property into a soccer complex could turn out even better than single-family housing."

Kling suggested adding the land to the city's capital projects budget and paying for it over several years, so officials wouldn't have to come up with all the money now.

"There's not too many large parcels left in the central part of the city," he said."

It's time to let your city government know that this purchase would be highly beneficial to the thousands of residents who play the sport. Clilck the links to contact the mayor and the city council. The mayor also has a Facebook account here.